Character Style Analysis

To reinforce the elements of design I have been tasked with analyzing the style of a character from a show my group chose which happened to be Gravity Falls. After watching a few episodes of the show I have warmed up to the tough lovin’ Gruncle Stan character. He is an old cynical cheapskate uncle of the twins Dipper and Mable whose behavior towards the twins is primarily that of tough love. Overworking them in his shop and mocking Dipper regularly in order to toughen them up, but this is just for show because in reality he is genuinely affectionate for the twins but struggles to maintain the tough exterior illusion in order to not appear soft.

Point

The biggest focal point of Gruncle Stans design is his big reddish nose, like Rudolph the reindeer. This adds emphasis on his face as the viewers eye is then attracted to his eyes and bushy eyebrows. These points are also in between his hat and tie which happen to be the same colour adding more contrast to the features making them the focal point of this character. This is further emphasized by his suit which even though it has numerous lines, the area is not as ‘busy’ as his face.

Line

The line weight of Gruncle Stan is largely consistent throughout the entire design. The outline of every body part uses thick lines indicating clearly the division of every body part with tapering lines representing the folds in clothing. Features within the outlines however are thinner and apart from the occasional taper remain consistent in thickness.

Shape

With the exception of a few features Gruncle Stan is entirely made up of trapezium’s. The squarish shapes also seem to be a defining feature of adults of Gravity Falls with the youths often made up of circular shapes. Gruncle Stans ears and nose which are defining features are contrasted by being ovals setting them apart from the rest of the body. With most of his body being trapeziums it reflects that Gruncle Stan is a strong and consistent character which emphasizes his relationship as being a guardian of the twins.

Form

There’s a lot going on with Gruncle Stans design to indicate form. The first thing I noticed apart from that red nose is his barrel chest which is defined by the lines of his shoulders and tie tapering into his waist. The line from the middle of his glasses carries consistently through the center of his entire body to the bottom of his pelvis. His eyebrows, nose and ears (the prominent ear to the viewers perspective) are layered on top of everything else which not only adds a 3D perspective but also defines these features more.

Texture

There isn’t much indication of texture that I can notice with Gruncle Stan. Generally texture is indicated by directional lines, highlights and the occasional colour. But for the most part the only noticeable points of texture I can see on Gruncle Stan is the folds in his clothing indicating it’s a soft material and the grey colour on his jawline indicating a 5 o’clock shadow. His nose also has lines that indicate it may a rough surface as though his nose is either pock marked, scarred or perhaps has a health condition such as diabetes or skin cancer. Although these last two health conditions are likely doubtful. The line style of Stans eyebrows and sideburns emphasizes the bushiness of his hair too.

Tone

Gruncle Stans tone is largely dark with his black suit and dark red hat and tie. His skin colour is a lighter tone but most of his face is covered by a grey 5 o’clock shadow so overall his tone is dark. The tone gives him an aged or weathered appearance that sets him apart from the twin Dipper and Mable.

Colour

Stans main colours are a lighter black, and maroon for the hat and tie with a very light creamy red for his skin accentuated by the light grey beard. Adding to these colours are his light brown shoes, white under shirt and his reddish nose which is contrasted against the skin colours. His overall colour palette gives him a conservative look adding to his aged character with a good balance of contrasting colours on his face which further defines his features.

In conclusion, Gruncle Stan seems to be on the surface easy to redesign, however that might be entrapment as emulating a simple design that still looks good with minimalist style could be a lot harder then I think. However bringing Gruncle Stan to 3D life is much easier now that I have broken down his basic shapes and form.